In this project funded by the Chemical Synthesis Program of the Chemistry Division, Professor John Montgomery of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Michigan will explore the development of methods for transition metal-catalyzed couplings and cycloadditions. Strategies will be developed that enable carbonyl-activated substrates to be utilized in couplings, with deoxygenation occurring during the coupling process. New strategies for the cycloaddition assembly of five-membered rings will also be pursued, with a focus on multicomponent coupling processes. By the proposed strategies, the combination of three simple and widely available components will provide access to a range of structurally complex carbocycles. While some aspects of the specific aims will allow a comparative analysis of nickel and palladium catalysts, the majority of efforts will involve the utilization of inexpensive and readily available nickel catalysts.
This work will provide insights into the use of first row metals for the catalytic assembly of complex structures from simple and readily available substrates. New strategies for the development of environmentally benign catalytic processes will be elucidated by these studies. The advances from these studies could be applied to research questions in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, agricultural, polymer, and petroleum industries. The students engaged in these studies will obtain skills that will enable them to be productive members of these industries or in academic positions at large universities or undergraduate institutions. Student coworkers with an interest in small college academic positions will be given the opportunity to develop collaborative projects with faculty at neighboring institutions.
